While there is a natural diversity to every monthly list we put together, what makes August so unique is how neatly each release falls into a particular subset of the local scene. Just about every record here represents a different genre, making this list a kind of sampler platter of the various sounds our collective music community does best. Yes, there is some overlap, and, no, it’s not a complete inventory, but it does seem like most of the major sonic forces are involved.
Which is what makes the two releases that bookend this post so perfect. On the front end you have Don’t Talk to Me About Love, the new mixtape from Wiley from Atlanta, whose soulful, eclectic approach to hip-hop brings to mind the adventurous outsider stylings of Chance the Rapper, not to mention the hot, sticky summertime vibes of Outkast. On the other end, you have the acerbic noise rock of Athens trio the Powder Room, whose new LP, Lucky, ships on August 28. The two artists couldn’t be more diametrically opposed, but that’s the beauty of our scene: we make room for just about everything.
In between those two releases there’s a lot to get excited about, most notably the upcoming debut from ’80s pop enthusiasts Shampoo and the new LP from psych-garage vets Gringo Star, who, remarkably, are nearing a decade of relentless writing, recording, and touring.
Also battling for your attention this month is The Last Take, a new five-song EP from folk-punk mainstay Jeremy Ray, In Passing, You Too Faded, the first full length from rising emo quartet Fox Wound and Abstractions, the debut cassette from Dialogue, an experimental duo consisting of Alexa Lima of Waking Astronomer and Keith William of WAKE. I could go on, but that’s already a lot to take in, and part of the fun is discovering new sounds for yourself. So start digging, and I’ll see you on the other side.
Wiley from Atlanta – Don’t Talk to Me About Love
Release Date: August 1
Label: Self-released
Release Info
While Don’t Talk to Me About Love isn’t exactly Wiley From Atlanta’s debut (the Atlanta rapper released his first mixtape, Private Concerts, back in 2014), it’s safe to say it’s the one that most listeners will encounter first and that will come to define him, at least in the short-term. The eight-song release is available for streaming via SoundCloud.
Tracklist
01. Talk About It
02. Heart-shaped Chocolate
03. Her Ways
04. Colors
05. Kama Sutra (w/ Mary Stewart)
06. Roses
07. Boys Don’t Cry
08. Don’t Talk to Me About Love
Wiley from Atlanta will perform on Friday, August 5 at RowdyDowdy at Fort Pryor alongside Shac from da 3, Melody Reyne, Jaye Newton, TJ Pompous, Afro Pluto, and more. Doors open at 7 p.m. Admission is $5.
More Info
Bandcamp: newwavemvmnt.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @newwavemvmnt
Instagram: @wileyatl
SoundCloud: @wileyatl
Twitter: @wileyatl
Fox Wound – In Passing, You Too Faded
Release Date: August 2
Label: Self-released
Release Info
Recorded at Glow in the Dark Studios by Ben Wills, In Passing, You Too Faded is the first full length release from emo quartet Fox Wound. The ten-song LP will be available August 2 on digital with CDs to follow shortly. Vinyl and cassette formats are also being discussed.
Tracklist
01. Sleight of Hand
02. Waveshine
03. No Johns
04. So, Which One is Jim?
05. Don’t Walk in the Grass Alone
06. Kathryn P.
07. In Passing
08. Remember Me
09. Glendale
10. Colour Me Gray
Fox Wound will perform on Sunday, August 14 at Wrecking Ball ATL at the Masquerade (Hell). Doors open at 11 a.m. Set at 12:30 p.m. Admission is $65-110.
More Info
Bandcamp: foxwoundband.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @foxwoundband
Instagram: @foxwoundband
Twitter: @foxwoundband
Cold Heart Canyon – Wolves, Demons & Drunks
Release Date: August 4
Label: Self-released
Release Info
Melding dark, whiskey-soaked Americana with outlaw country and bluegrass, Cold Heart Canyon’s debut EP, Wolves, Demons & Drunks should be a stormy affair. The six-song effort is out August 4.
Tracklist
01. 13 Types of Whiskey
02. Pentagram Smile
03. I Won’t Be Home
04. Frankly, My Dear
05. Drink Myself
06. Go Crazy, Insane
Cold Heart Canyon will celebrate the release of Wolves, Demons & Drunks on Thursday, August 4 at the Earl. Supporting them will be Jeremy Ray and Blood On the Harp. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. Admission is $8 in advance or $10 at the door.
More Info
Web: coldheartcanyon.com
Facebook: @Coldheartcanyonmusic
Instagram: @coldheartcanyon
SoundCloud: @cold-heart-canyon
Jeremy Ray – The Last Take
Release Date: August 5
Label: Bear Kids Recordings
Release Info
Singer-songwriter Jeremy Ray is known as something of a folk-punk firecracker, but for his latest EP, The Last Take, he decided to take a more reserved and introspective route with five intimate acoustic songs full of heartache and wistful yearnings. The EP will be available on limited edition letterpressed CD, cassette, and digital via Bear Kids Recordings.
Tracklist
01. Wishing Wells
02. Worse Than Bad
03. Oh, Son
04. The Ballad of Brandy & Jolene
05. The Last Take
Jeremy Ray will celebrate the release of The Last Take on Thursday, August 4 at the Earl when he plays in support of Cold Heart Canyon. Fellow locals Blood On the Harp open the show. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. Admission is $8 in advance or $10 at the door.
More Info
Web: jeremyrayis.com
Bandcamp: jeremyrayis.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @JeremyRayArtandMusic
Twitter: @jeremyrayis
Slackwater – Broken Boy
Release Date: August 9
Label: Self-released
Release Info
After releasing a pair of demo tracks last August, Atlanta’s Slackwater is ready to unveil their first official release, Broken Boy, an 8-song record that will draw from surf, shoegaze, and pop music.
Tracklist
01. Broken Boy
02. I Was an Ocean
03. Beneath the Waves
04. Outgrown
05. The Climb
06. Wasasamba
07. Unrequited
08. 7NA
Slackwater will celebrate the release of Broken Boy on Tuesday, August 9 at WonderRoot. Supporting them will be Dakota Floyd, Pop Weirdos, US NERO, and Really Small Time ‘Capone. Doors open at 8 p.m. Admission is $5
More Info
Bandcamp: slackwater.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @slackwateratl
Malevich – Only the Flies
Release Date: August 15
Label: Self-released
Release Info
Malevich is a new band in Atlanta consisting of members of Pallow, Juna, Nurture, Some Mistakes, and Under a Sky So Blue. Their debut LP, Only the Flies, is a mix of metallic hardcore, black metal, sludge, and noise.
Tracklist
01. Solus
02. A Light in the Darkness that Faded as I Approached
03. Always, Loss
04. Le Tout Bas
05. Perennial Self
06. Drought
07. Moult
08. Disassociated
09. Represented in Bondage
10. Death Will Never Be Enough
Malevich will celebrate the release of Only the Flies on Monday, August 15 at 529 when they play in support of Peucharist and Thoth Nemesis. Doors open at 9 p.m. Donations suggested.
More Info
Facebook: @malevichband
SoundCloud: @malevich-mcturnsimone-cole
Shampoo – Terrible Heat
Release Date: August 19
Label: Bear Kids Recordings
Release Info
Shampoo may have an ’80s-leaning sound, but to call it a nostalgic take on pop is too simplistic and discredits the artful nature of their songwriting. We’re betting that Terrible Heat turns a lot of heads when it’s released August 19.
Tracklist
01. Hanging Up On U
02. Inside Out (All That I Want)
03. Texaco
04. Make Us Pay
05. High School
06. Shy Guy
07. Otaku
08. Boys
09. Lucy
10. Katie
Shampoo will celebrate the release of Terrible Heat on Thursday, August 18 at the Mammal Gallery. Supporting them will be Erica Eso and Red Sea. Doors open at 9 p.m. Admission is $5.
More Info
Bandcamp: shampoo.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @shampooatl
SoundCloud: @burthday-pony
Dialogue – Abstractions
Release Date: August 23
Label: Underground Field Recordings
Release Info
Dialogue is an experimental duo consisting of Alexa Lima (Waking Astronomer) and Keith William (WAKE). Their upcoming debut cassette, Abstractions, will consist of two recordings. One side will be Alexa Lima’s self-titled EP for the first time as a physical release and on the other will be a reinterpretation of that EP by the duo using samplers, drum machines, effect pedals, and a variety of synthesizers and sequencers.
Tracklist
01. Displacement
02. Five
03. Last Breath
04. Palm Eyes
05. Seven
06. What Comes to Mind
07. Sinker
08. When Pigs Fly
More Info
Facebook: @dialogueatl
Instagram: @dialogueatl
Gringo Star – The Sides and In Between
Release Date: August 26
Label: Nevado Music
Release Info
Hard to believe it’s been almost a decade since Gringo Star’s debut, All Y’all, but here we are. Brothers Nicholas and Peter Furgiuele are still mining the ’60s rock of the Kinks and the Animals for fuzzed-out, psych rock gems, and from the sounds of it, having a damn fine time doing it. The group’s fourth studio LP, The Sides and In Between, is out August 26.
Tracklist
01. Rotten
02. Magic
03. Get Closer
04. Still Alive
05. Going Home
06. Knee Deep
07. Heading South
08. Undone
09. It’s You
10. The Last Trace
More Info
Web: gringostar.net
Bandcamp: gringostar.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @gringostarmusic
The Powder Room – Lucky
Release Date: August 26
Label: Learning Curve Records
Release Info
Athens noise mongers The Powder Room are prepping the release of their sophomore LP, Lucky. The 11-song effort will be available on vinyl, CD, and digital via Learning Curve Records.
Tracklist
01. Vanburner
02. Lucky
03. That’s No Way to Live
04. Abort
05. Deep Dish
06. Black Dress
07. Interlude
08. Sycophant
09. Workaround
10. The Elitist
11. Nothing Important Happened Today
The Powder Room will celebrate the release of Lucky on Friday, August 26 at Caledonia Lounge. Supporting them will be Multicult and Vincas. Doors open at 9 p.m. Admission is $7-9.
More Info
Bandcamp: thepowderroom.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: @thepowderroomathens
Twitter: @thepowderroomga
Universal Vibe Control – Universal Vibe Control
Release Date: TBD
Label: madeislife
Release Info
Universal Vibe Control is a new hip-hop duo featuring Pappy Universe and Cza Kalu. Their self-titled debut, which was executive produced by TARVIS Devôn, does not yet have a specific release date but will be out sometime this month.
Tracklist
01. Senzu Beans
02. Comfortable
03. Fadeaway/Temptation
04. Coconut Oil/Pappy Tree
05. Village
More Info
Instagram: @univibecontrol
SoundCloud: @universalvibecontrol
Twitter: @UniVibeControl